On the outside looking in: Confessional discourse in the contemporary British novel (A. S. Byatt, Angela Carter, Pat Barker)

While there is a considerable amount of criticism devoted to the relationship between the confessional culture and contemporary American literature, there exists no equivalent body of criticism that examines the similar way in which contemporary British writers engage topics related to the confessional cultural movement. This thesis is devoted to addressing this critical gap.; Contemporary British novelists in particular explore the various motives for and methods of delivering public and private confessional narratives by depicting confessional discourse in different settings. This thesis is focused on the way that contemporary British novelists depict confessional discourse in three novels---A. S. Byatt's Babel Tower, Angela Carter's The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr. Hoffman, and Pat Barker's Border Crossing. These novels represent the development of the confessional culture in Britain from the 1960s to the 1990s and also illustrate the various ways in which individuals can participate in this cultural movement. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...